Posts Tagged target audience
Hip Hop Magazines Worth Reading
Hip hop magazines certainly have their hands full: they must focus on new artists, rising stars, new rap and R&B releases, video reviews, urban fashion reports and interviews with existing superstars. Here’s a list of the top three hip hop magazines, as well as my personal endorsement for which I feel is the best.
The Source. What originally started as a rap newsletter by two Harvard graduates turned DJs eventually became one of the largest and most respected magazines in the genre. It has, however, fallen on hard times due to unfavorable publicity regarding a feud between co-owner Benzino and Eminem, as well as concern over their biased rating of albums (including Benzino’s own record). True, this publicity could have helped keep The Source in the headlines, but this reflected a poor business practice which reduced their advertising revenue, eventually leading The Source to declare bankruptcy. While its future remains clouded, this is still a magazine hip hop fans should look into for themselves.
Scratch. The Source focuses most of its energy on hip hop as entertainment, whereas Scratch focuses on rap music as a business, and provides numerous articles for those interested in making a living from it. Scratch is mostly made up of former Source employees who became dissillusioned with their former employer. While rappers can certainly learn a lot about the nuts and bolts of the industry, Scratch’s target audience consists of DJs and music producers. Purchased by XXL in Nov 2007- a powerhouse in the industry- Scratch certainly seems poised to grab a larger part of the market in years to come. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Write a Music Review
“Five Tips for a Successful Music Review”
1. Who Should Write a Review?
Writing an informative and captivating music review can be a challenging task. It is helpful if the reviewer is a musician and understands music theory, musical styles, and the type of music to be reviewed. It is essential for the reviewer to be aware of the target audience for which the music review is intended. My reviews are targeted to music teachers who have in in-depth understanding and appreciation of music.
2. What Does the Reader Want to Know?
The reader of my column is educated, has an in-depth understanding of music, including music theory, conducting,, and music pedagogy, and a level of musical understanding in all genres of music. Typical readers want to know about the product. They are looking for new ideas for presenting music in concerts and on the football field. They want music that will add diversity to their concert programming. Readers want to know certain things about each piece of music; specifically the level of difficulty, and any unusual demands placed on the different instruments and the appropriateness of the music for performance.
Here is an example taken from one of my recent music reviews:
Here we have ten minutes of Spanish flavored music that has many dynamic types of shading, and is sprinkled with sustained lines, weaving counter lines, and thick, resonant chords. The contrasts in mood are very well handled. It is a rousing number that exudes rhythmic intensity, and Spanish bravado. This exciting musical composition brings out a sense of adventure, and student will enjoy the brisk tempo and fiery Spanish rhythms. Read the rest of this entry »